This project supports a cooperative project by a US scientist, Dr. John Harris, from the Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, at the University of Illinois, Urbana, and Dr. Saleem Asghar, Department of Mathematics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. The research aims at investigating, with mathematical models, the propagation of a surface wave, that glides over a curved elastic surface, where it clings closely to the surface and decays into the interior. The coupling of waves from one surface to another will be studied. In addition. scattering of such waves as they strike a small crack breaking an interior surface or encounter a patch of roughness along that surface will be studied. Scope: This project allows cooperation of two well known scientists whose capabilities complement each other to do important scientific work; and it helps understand properties of surface waves that are important in detecting problems or potential problems in many curved structures such as pipelines. The Pakistani scientist is in one of that country's most important universities for graduate education and research. He has expertise in the radiation of sound from fluid-loaded plates, while the US scientist has expertise in the area of high-frequency surface wave propagation. A US graduate student of Dr. Harris is expected to participate in this work. This project meets a number of important objectives of the Division of International Programs.
